People go to the doctor for check ups all of the time...but how often do we take time to step back and take stock of our spiritual self?
Sooooo, how are you doing? (I'm not really expecting an answer here....just ask yourself...how are you doing?)
Is your heart healthy?
How's your relationships?
When was the last time you had a little chitchat with the Big Guy Upstairs? (and no, I'm not really talking about your husband sitting in front of the tv watching the game)
This last month has been periods of elation, , sunshine and rainbows, devastation, and heart wrenching growth.
Why does it hurt so much to grow?!? As I type this Corey is snuggled into me, too hurt to play with his brothers outside due to growing pains. Growing Pains....we never seem to outgrow them do we?
I've been going through this women's study at our church...Stuck...I've renamed it Suck, but you know...it hurts...in a good closet cleaning way.
Here's the little trailer for it...It made me cry when my friend posted it on facebook so I knew that I had to jump in...
And then, as if that weren't enough punishment....a friend gave me the book Satan's Dirty Little Secret. Definitely NOT a feel good, warm and fuzzy read. Ripped me wide open, but did it ever get at some major root issues.
The book and the Bible study seemed to be a 1-2 Punch to my heart. The book delves into the fact that insecurity and inferiority are the roots of practically every attack the devil throws our way.
Insecurity and Inferiority....those are 2 very dirty words in my book....hard, deep-rooted weeds that tendril through my heart and leach out poison onto every good thing God puts in my path. Pulling them out is a lot like getting rid of dandelions, digging deep to get the whole root.
It's not easy work, but it is wonderful to see now how God is pruning and preparing my ground for new things. Some are going to be really hard battles...some people aren't going to like or agree with....some hurt like crazy and feel like defeat. On the flip side, I can say that I feel God's presence so much more: the joy and peace in times when we should be losing our minds, the closeness in our marriage when most people would be fighting like cats and dogs, and most of all..the protection when satan tries to devour, God has it all under control and is working it for our good.
Today, part of my study was on Romans 8:18-39....God doesn't want us to be stuck where we're at...He wants us to find Hope and Victory over this life and it's momentary troubles. God sent his Son as a sacrifice for our sins, what else wouldn't he do for us?
Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ Jesus.....in a world of superficial, 5 min romances it is so hard to wrap my head around the depth of God's love for us. Full and complete love, not depending on what I can do for Him...the fact that He loved me at my worst the same as at my best, it just blows my mind.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mi Vida Loca
We're almost to the end of week 3 of our 12 week LiveFit Trainer.....I'm actually on week 4, but I started over so that Jim could join in the fun.
Some things that I've found to make life a little easier:
Meat muffins (which I made into meatballs and baked on a metal cooling rack so that what little grease there was, fell into the pan below..not soaked into my lunch!)
Ignore the horrible coloring of this picture..honest, they aren't burnt balls of charcoal! Add in a couple stalks of celery, some chili pepper hummus, and an orange and you're all set :)
Spicy Meatballs
5lbs extra lean ground beef (or turkey or chicken...it's just we're northerners and don't do all that fluff...we like our red meat!)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 egg whites
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cumin
4 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipolte seasoning *best stuff on earth!*
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs garlic powder
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
Mix all ingredients until combined. Shape into balls about the size of a racquetball. Place on metal cooling rack on top of a pan with sides (lined with AL foil to make for easy clean up).
Bake 350, for about 30 min (until done).
This makes about 45 meatballs. I freeze mine on the cooling rack and then put into a ziplock bag so that they're easy to grab and go.
Jamie Eason has a handful of really good and easy recipes. While I ate my lunch above, I made the chocolate protein bars. I know what you're thinking..gag, protein bars are funky `cardboard grossness. These are actually really good and the carbs are lower so you don't have to feel bad! They remind me a ton of chocolate malt o meal....you either love it or you hate it I guess (personally, I love it..practically lived off of it when I was in high school and decided to go vegetarian....)
Chocolate Protein Bars (adapted from LiveFit recipes)
1 cup oatmeal, ground in coffee grinder
4 egg whites
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
about 1/8 cup of truvia
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz unsweetened apple sauce
3 Tbs unsweetened Cocoa
4 oz water
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry bowl and stir until combined.
Pour into a prepared 8x8 pyrex dish sprayed with pam.
Bake 20-30 min. Cut into 16 squares, serving size is 2 squares. Each serving has 96 cal, 1.4g fat, 12g carbs, and 10g protein....mmmm, mmm, good!
Last, but not least...a workout buddy makes everything better! Someone to make sure that you make it to the gym, pushes you harder..just one more!
I'm super lucky----Jim's on board with all of this (and I haven't stopped working with him even though he is seeing results faster hahaha)
Excuse the cruddy night time cell phone pic, post workout (thank God for the 20 min drive home..otherwise I'd be the ultimate definition of Hot Mess!)
Not only do I have Jim, but the Loverly Krystal B. is always a text away..and sometimes just a machine ;)
Both of them kick my butt and keep me motivated---not much weight loss the past 3 weeks, but I was able to fit into a pair of shorts that I wore the summer after we got married (couldn't breath, sitting down wasn't an option, but they were on and zipped so I'm calling it a win)
Have a great Friday--the weather's been amazing here and totally put me in a spring cleaning mood--lots of donation bags heading out our door!!!!!
Some things that I've found to make life a little easier:
Meat muffins (which I made into meatballs and baked on a metal cooling rack so that what little grease there was, fell into the pan below..not soaked into my lunch!)
Spicy Meatballs
5lbs extra lean ground beef (or turkey or chicken...it's just we're northerners and don't do all that fluff...we like our red meat!)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 egg whites
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cumin
4 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipolte seasoning *best stuff on earth!*
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs garlic powder
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
Mix all ingredients until combined. Shape into balls about the size of a racquetball. Place on metal cooling rack on top of a pan with sides (lined with AL foil to make for easy clean up).
Bake 350, for about 30 min (until done).
This makes about 45 meatballs. I freeze mine on the cooling rack and then put into a ziplock bag so that they're easy to grab and go.
Jamie Eason has a handful of really good and easy recipes. While I ate my lunch above, I made the chocolate protein bars. I know what you're thinking..gag, protein bars are funky `cardboard grossness. These are actually really good and the carbs are lower so you don't have to feel bad! They remind me a ton of chocolate malt o meal....you either love it or you hate it I guess (personally, I love it..practically lived off of it when I was in high school and decided to go vegetarian....)
1 cup oatmeal, ground in coffee grinder
4 egg whites
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
about 1/8 cup of truvia
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz unsweetened apple sauce
3 Tbs unsweetened Cocoa
4 oz water
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry bowl and stir until combined.
Pour into a prepared 8x8 pyrex dish sprayed with pam.
Bake 20-30 min. Cut into 16 squares, serving size is 2 squares. Each serving has 96 cal, 1.4g fat, 12g carbs, and 10g protein....mmmm, mmm, good!
Last, but not least...a workout buddy makes everything better! Someone to make sure that you make it to the gym, pushes you harder..just one more!
I'm super lucky----Jim's on board with all of this (and I haven't stopped working with him even though he is seeing results faster hahaha)
Not only do I have Jim, but the Loverly Krystal B. is always a text away..and sometimes just a machine ;)
Both of them kick my butt and keep me motivated---not much weight loss the past 3 weeks, but I was able to fit into a pair of shorts that I wore the summer after we got married (couldn't breath, sitting down wasn't an option, but they were on and zipped so I'm calling it a win)
Have a great Friday--the weather's been amazing here and totally put me in a spring cleaning mood--lots of donation bags heading out our door!!!!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Hey There!
We were super crazy busy last week...Jim's Grandma passed away and we had family come in from just about everywhere!
The passing was unexpected, but it was good to see all of the cousins that we haven't seen in years...some that we've never met! I think that hands down, Georgia has the nicest accent ;)
Pretty much every day and night was spent with family--the boys got to catch a glimpse of where they came from---and---I got to hold lots of babies (Oh Dear Lord, be still my ovaries...these squishy cooing babies are gonna be the death of me!)
It's been good and stressful and sad all wrapped up in one.
A friend gave me a book yesterday...I have so much to digest on this one. It really opened up some deep wounds, but seems to be helping God bring a deeper healing.
Jim knew that I was struggling a bit today. Kind of feeling beat down.
He walked into the kitchen while I was making dinner and turned the stereo to this song....
I tell you what...
Nothing
and I mean Nothing, makes my heart melt slow dancing in the kitchen with my hubby whispering these lyrics in my ear.
...sigh....
ok, enough mush....really, I am not a mushy gooshy girl, but I'm embracing it today ;)
Just started Week 3 of lifting with Jim....today was Leg Day....yikes....new moves were added today and I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a sore day!!!!! (what's with kettle bells and why do the hurt So Much?!?)
Hope your Monday was great and that your week is even better!!!
The passing was unexpected, but it was good to see all of the cousins that we haven't seen in years...some that we've never met! I think that hands down, Georgia has the nicest accent ;)
Pretty much every day and night was spent with family--the boys got to catch a glimpse of where they came from---and---I got to hold lots of babies (Oh Dear Lord, be still my ovaries...these squishy cooing babies are gonna be the death of me!)
It's been good and stressful and sad all wrapped up in one.
A friend gave me a book yesterday...I have so much to digest on this one. It really opened up some deep wounds, but seems to be helping God bring a deeper healing.
Jim knew that I was struggling a bit today. Kind of feeling beat down.
He walked into the kitchen while I was making dinner and turned the stereo to this song....
I tell you what...
Nothing
and I mean Nothing, makes my heart melt slow dancing in the kitchen with my hubby whispering these lyrics in my ear.
...sigh....
ok, enough mush....really, I am not a mushy gooshy girl, but I'm embracing it today ;)
Just started Week 3 of lifting with Jim....today was Leg Day....yikes....new moves were added today and I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a sore day!!!!! (what's with kettle bells and why do the hurt So Much?!?)
Hope your Monday was great and that your week is even better!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Hope Springing Up
There's so much running through my head right now. So many things, seems like years since I posted last..but then I look and it's only been less than a week since Jim got back from his trip....
Crazy that in 5 days time, everything is different...
Crazy that even though we are still in the midst of the same major heart wrenching struggles, the air is different around us...
Crazy that my ever stoic husband has found his joy, he's like a kid again...back before the weight of the world crashed down on his adult shoulders...
Crazy that I am waking up at 4:50 A.M. to spend time with Jim before he leaves for work....seeking God's will and guidance, growing in faith, growing in relationship...loving this new found headship I'm seeing in my husband!
As Spring quickly approaches, the hope of growth and new things rises up through the brown dead grass, the cold hard ground of winter. Amazing how similar this is to the transition happening in our hearts.
I'll be sure to post more once the words rise up from my heart.
Crazy that in 5 days time, everything is different...
Crazy that even though we are still in the midst of the same major heart wrenching struggles, the air is different around us...
Crazy that my ever stoic husband has found his joy, he's like a kid again...back before the weight of the world crashed down on his adult shoulders...
Crazy that I am waking up at 4:50 A.M. to spend time with Jim before he leaves for work....seeking God's will and guidance, growing in faith, growing in relationship...loving this new found headship I'm seeing in my husband!
As Spring quickly approaches, the hope of growth and new things rises up through the brown dead grass, the cold hard ground of winter. Amazing how similar this is to the transition happening in our hearts.
I'll be sure to post more once the words rise up from my heart.
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